Comic-Con 2007

Early birds got a special preview of ABC’s new show “Pushing Daisies” on Saturday morning. Billed as “a touching tale of romance, mystery and murder,” the hour-long dramedy did not disappoint the crowd, many of whom were devoted followers of creator Bryan Fuller’s previous shows “Wonderfalls” and “Dead Like Me,” which were Comic-Con hits but TV failures

“(You guys) were smarter than everyone else was about ‘Wonderfalls,’” Fuller told the crowd.

In the same vein as these quirky shows, “Pushing Daisies” deals heavily with mortality. Main character Ned discovers that his touch has the ability to bring people back to life, but only for a minute.

Co-star Kristen Chenoweth, the most recognizable cast member thanks to her tenure on the Broadway sensation “Wicked,” fielded questions about her new career on TV while famed director Barry Sonnenfeld (“Men in Black”), who directed the pilot episode, and Fuller answered inquiring minds on the long-term direction of the program.

The most shocking moment of the panel came when lead Anna Friel laid a big wet one on costar Lee Pace, in reference to the premise of the show where the hero literally can’t kiss, let alone touch, his childhood love because of his unusual gift.

– Kate Stanhope